The existence of this dimension singularly demonstrates why Mediation is always appropriate.

‘… [T]he “human dimension” of cultural heritage – i.e. the special feelings that items of cultural heritage evoke in individuals and peoples because of their symbolic, emotional, religious, and historical qualities – can be overlooked in the course of the adjudicative process. This human dimension is at stake in all cases, whether involving artworks taken by force or deceit or not … [C]ultural objects have no intrinsic value, in the sense that they cannot be defined solely by their physical characteristics. The values ascribed to them- be they historic, scientific, educational, aesthetic, or financial depend on the meanings placed upon them by individuals and communities. It is precisely because of these meanings that works of art and antiquities attract the interest of museum-goers, institutions, States, and other stakeholders. For some, cultural objects are repositories of information relating to human history. Others regard them as possessing or expressing religious or spiritual qualities. For others, cultural objects are chattels that can be treated as any other commodity in financial terms. Heritage’s value is therefore relational. This explains why disputes involving cultural objects are both more likely to arise and more difficult to resolve than in the case of mundane goods.’

(The Settlement of International Cultural Heritage Disputes by Alessandro Chechi (2014), p.2.)